Wildflower (Kris Bryant)

27 A Change In Heart

Kris

To find a heart for someone in Serenity's position is what we like to call destiny. Both the recipient and the donor had to be around the same age and same size, they have to have the same blood type and body type. Then you have to find a donor who had good lungs too that can be transferred over with the heart. You have just a few hours to get the heart out of the donor into the patient before the heart stops beating without a body. Not a lot of time for error, for that's a few hours to get the heart out, transfer it and keep it beating and get it into the patient all while making sure the heart is a good match.

But I believe in miracles, I have to. I have to believe that Serenity is going to make it out of this no matter how tight my chest felt. Her new heart is out there somewhere, we just need to keep praying we can get it soon enough.

I sit in her ICU room as I lean my head against my mom. I haven't slept much, haven't ate or even taken a shower in days. The guys come and visit and there has been nothing but the upmost support from cubs fans in these hard times. But it doesn't make it any easier to see her laying there not making some awful joke or letting her smile brighten a room.

But as the time goes on I get a worse and worse feeling like we're going to be too late. Like nothing was happening and there wasn't anything I could do. I've cried and I've screamed and I've talked to every doctor I can. All we could do was wait for her to pass or wait for a new heart to save her.

"This is awful" I tiredly mumble.

My mom pats my back and it did help a little. "I know sweetie. We just gotta try to stay positive for her" she insists.

"I just want her back" I sniffle. Here comes the waterworks again.

"We all do. We just gotta make sure we can be there for her no matter what happens" she says softly.

I end up falling asleep on my mom but I don't think I was out that long before I hear a bunch of commotion in Ren's room. When I open my eyes my mom and I were the only ones left in here from when I dozed off earlier and there was dozens of doctors where Serenity's family once sat. They were all messing with Serinity and talking fast and causing a bunch of commotion. My mom and I must have been sleeping pretty hard to miss all this.

"What's going on" I grumble as I wipe the sleep out of my eyes.

My mom wakes up too as we both look around confused. Did she flat line? Did her lungs stop working? Is she getting ready for emergency surgery? "You're Kris right" a doctor asks as he stops in front of me.

"That's me" I assure him.

"Great! Serenity's family insisted on letting you sleep because they know that haven't been able to lately. But as soon as you both woke up they gave us permission to give you the good news! We got a call about five minutes ago that we found a heart and lung match for Serenity. It had to be flown in and that only gives us about a hour and a half to get it into the hospital and into your girlfriend for it to work" he explains.

I hop out of my seat as I look over to Serenity. She was still asleep but they were taking the stuff out of her to get her ready for surgery. I smile as big as ever as I turn back to the doctor. "So she's getting a heart and lungs" I ask.

"Yes sir. It's a perfect match and as long as we can keep it beating and get her new organs into her body we can hopefully wake her up soon to see how it all matches up. But this is just the beginning of a long road to recovery" he warns me.

I nod my head as I look over at my mom. She had the biggest smile on her face as she looked up at me. "Do you know where her family went to" I wonder.

"They left not too long ago. They went to the family room and they said they're gonna wait for you before talking with the cardiologist and deciding what happens next" he explains.

So we thank him and find Serenity's family in the family room. They grab us and take us to a little office where a surgeon was just getting off the phone. He turns to us with the biggest smile on his face and for the first time since we got here I felt like I could breathe. "Thank you all for meeting with me on short notice. We don't have much time but I want you all to know what happens next and what to expect.

The procedure itself is going to take quite a few hours and since she has had surgery before to try and repair her heart it makes things a little more difficult. The more you mess with it the weaker it becomes and we need to keep her current heart beating until her new one is in. She will be connected to a heart-lung bypass to keep the oxygen flowing to the rest of her body while we make the switch. Once the switch is done and she's connected to her new heart and lungs it's up to her from there. Her body has to accept the new organs and hopefully we move in from there. She will be in ICU for a few more days and have tubes hooked up to her chest to aid in drainage and prevention of infection. But she should wake up soon after the surgery and then we will see what we're working with.

Any questions" he asks.

"What are her chances that this goes smooth and she'll come back to us" her mom asks.

The doctor lets out a sigh as he shakes his head. "I can't promise you anything. With her body in the condition it is in it'll take a lot more than a new heart to undo the years and wear and tear.

But she hasn't given up on us yet and we're not going to give up on her. You have the best team of cardiologists here with you all and a real good heart making it's way over. I like our chances" he assures us.

I smile to myself as my brain goes a mile a minute. I prayed every day a few times a day for this moment and it's here. It's finally here. I just hope this is a answer and not more questions.